Fire-escape



(Nb Model.) 4

0. N.v BROOKS.

PIRE ESCAPE.

No. 285,564. Patented Sep't.f25, 1883.

NiTEDv STATES OLIVER N. BROOKS, OF GUILFORD, CONNECTICUT.

PATENT Ormea FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPE'JIICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 285,564, dated eptember 25, 1883.

Application fned May 22, 188,3. (No mmm.)

p State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Fire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following, when takenin connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, iii-.-

Figure l, a section through the window-sill and receptacle, showing the sack suspended outside the window, broken lines showing the escape deposited in the receptacle in the inside of the apartment under the window; Fig. 2, an inside view, showing the arrangement of the cords over the iiXed pulleys; Fig. 8, an outside view looking toward the window, showing the arrangement as preparatory to the descent of the person.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of fire-escapes which are constructed so as to remain in the apartment in some compact form-as like an ottonian-beneath the window until required for use. Then the lines are thrown from the window, the one end secured at the window, the other supported at a distant point, and upon which a carrier to support the person is made to travel and carry the person from the window to the ground; and the invention consists in the construction, as hereinafter described, and more particularly recited in the claims. n

A represents the receptacle, which is arranged on the floor beneath the window, and may be upholstered and covered like an ottoman. At the bottom of this receptacle or box are two iiXed pulleys, a a. Around these pulleys a cord passes, in length more than twice the distance from the window to the ground. This cord is united so as to make it substantially endless, and it also passes through loops or pulleys b on a bar, B, and so that the bar may be thrown from the window to the ground and held by a person, as represented in Fig. 3, or otherwise-secured, and so that a person on the ground, taking hold of one run of cord and pulling down, will cause the other to correspondingly run up and work over the pulleys a in the apartment. To one of these runs of cord a suitable car-may be in shape of a sack, C--is iirmly attached, the other passing through a loop, d, as a guide. The cords are held at a suitable distance apart, because of the pulleys upon the inside and their connection with the bar at the ground. This car or sack C is thrown from the window, and a per-` son desiring to escape enters the sack, and then persons on the ground or near the bar B draw down upon the cord to which the sack is attached until the sack reaches the ground. The other cord serves as a guide to keep the sack in proper position during the descent, and when this person has been landed the sack is returned by drawing down upon the other cord. In order that the sack may be held firmly while the person is entering it, I provide a trip-hook, 1), with which the sack is engaged when raised to the window or when thrown out from the window. This hook consists of a frame, e, secured to the end of a cord, the other end of the cord being secured upon the inside of the apartment, as shown, and the cord of4 such length that the hook will hang just outside the window. The hook consists of a lever hung in the frame e, as at f, the one end formed in hook shape le, the other, t, eX- tending from the frame, and to this, for con venience, a cord, Z, is attached. Vhen the sack is hung upon the hook, as shown, the sack is secured in that elevated position until the person has entered the sack. Then the occupant of the sack or some other person pullsL the cord l, reverses the position of the hook, so as to permit the sack to disengage therefrom. Then thesack may be drawn down, as before. Instead of using the one cord to drawn down the sack, it may, in the case of heavy persons, be necessary to apply power to the opposite cord to restrain the too rapid descent of the sack.V

In order that the cords may runfreely over the window-sill, and not be interfered with by the irregularities of the sill, I attach upon the inside of the receptacle A a guard made of sheet metal. This guard consist-s of a shield, E, constructed to cover the windowsill from the inside outward, as shown, and it is hinged upon the inside of the receptacle, as at m, and so that it may be folded therein, as shown, and upon the top of the` sack and cords when IOO they are deposited inthe receptacle A, as shown. Then When the escape is required the receptacle is opened, the shield appears rst, and ready to be turned upward and outward over the Window-sill. The surface of this shield is so smooth that the cords Will run over it With Ivery little friction.

This apparatus may be used as well for transferring articles from the room to the ground as for escape for persons. rlhe person may escape by this apparatus Without the aid of a person on the ground at the bar B-that is to say, the cords may be thrown from the window, then the sack, and the person entering the sack will take hold of the free cord-that is, the cord to which Jthe sack is not attachedand thus may let himself gradually downward to the ground.

I claiml. The combination of the double run or endless cord passing over pulleys arranged inside the apartment, so as to separate the runs from each other, with a bar, B, )rovided with guides b b, through which the said cord passes, and the sack C, attached to one run of cord and guided by the other, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the double run or endless cord passing over pulleys arranged inside the apartment, so as to separate the runsfrom each other, with a bar, B, provided with guides b b, through which the said cord passes, and

guided by the other, with the shield E, attached upon the inside of the apartment, 'and constructed to pass over and cover the Windowsill, substantially as described.

`3. The combination of the double run or endless cord passing over pulleys arranged inside the apartment, so as to separate the runs from each other, With a bar, B, provided With guides b 1 through which the said cord passes, and the sack C, attached to one run of cord and guided by the other, With the trip hook D, substantially as described.'

4L. The combination ofthe double run or endless eord passing over pulleys arranged inside the apartment, so as to separate the runs from each other, with a bar, B, provided with guides lb b, through Which the said cord passes, and

the sack C, attached to one run of cord and guided bythe other, with the shield E, attached upon the inside of the apartment, and constructed to pass over and cover. the Windowsill, and a receptacle, A, on the inside of the apartment, through Which the said pulleys a a are arranged, and into which the cord, sack, and shield may be deposited, substantially as described.

OLIVER N. BROOKS. Titnesses E. G. H'Us'rnn, GEO. S. BENTON. 

